Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Got my elk, anyone want to buy some leaky Danners?

Got a nice cow yesterday afternoon. Come to think of it, I should just stay in bed till noon. This is the fourth elk I've killed, all of them between 3 and 3:15. One shot (7mag, 140 TSX), through the heart. She did not go far, and it was 98% downhill to the rig over a nice foot of snow. Not bad, as packing elk goes.

For the bad part, my new Danners leak like a sieve. So did my last pair. Anyone want to buy a pair of 11wide, almost new Danner Yellowstones? Four boots, four leakers. If this had been a high-dollar pack in hunt, I'd have been seriously torqued.

Buyers beware.... JMO, DUtch.

Congrats on the elk.

I have a pair of Danner Sharptails that stretched to near useless after two-weeks. Nice to know they'll leak soon too...

Congrat's on the elk!! My Danners remain watertight, but, maybe Iam just lucky!

Enjoy those tenderloins!!!!!!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Huntr

Congrat's on your elk!!!

Too bad on Danners. I've been equally disappointed in them in recent years and are done with them. 20 years ago, I had a pair for 5 years (better than doubled the life of every other pair I've had) that never leaked a bit. Many times standing in ankle deep water for hours. Too bad, they were once a wonderful company until they sent their manufacturing to China. Oh, well.

Some one had a link to some $500.00 boots on one of the other posts.

I've used a pair of Cabela guide boots (~$125.00) for the past 5 years and as long as I beeswax them two or three times before the hunt (I always set them out on a sunny day to heat up the leather), they have always been waterproof.

Damn things are a pain to put on and take off though. Still they're light and keep my feet dry.

Buffhunter, that's what my previous pair was (Cabela's Outfitter series). Loved those boots. I mean, I'm a bit tough on boots: 240 lbs, and I like hunting cross-country in Central Idaho. I tear boots up. Anyway, the Cabela's boots lasted 5 years, and I decided to "upgrade" when I got a chance to buy the Danners at our RMEF banquet.

At the end of the day (walking through dry snow, mind you, not any wet grass or some such) I had to wring out my socks!

Oh well, where's my Christmas list. Cabela's gonna love us again this year.... FWIW, Dutch.

In my experience, there is no such thing as a breathable material, water proof boot. Eventually, due to seams parting, dirt or some other wicking substance, or simply material stretch they will leak. Some may last a week, others a month, but with truly hard use they are going to leak. Those materials that don't breath (rubber, plastic, etc) are water proof, but perspiration becomes an issue. When I'm assured the entire day wil be wet, I put on well waxed and oiled packs with felt liners and all the wool socks I can fit inside. Feet will be dry and warm all day, but the shell and fabric will need to be dried each night. Always have an extral set of liners. If ones tent or camp is not heated, take them into the sleeping bag with you, and they'll be dry in the morning.

Last year I bought my last pair of Danners. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

When the 3rd pair in a row fell apart in about 20 days of hunting hard, I decided it was a better investment to buy something else.

congrats on the elk!

i picked up some danners not 3 years ago. i wear them only for hunting... this year, my second day of hunting, they just let the water right in. i picked these up to replace a pair of rocky boots that i've got 7 years into now and still don't leak.

i'm done w/ danner. very disappointed.

btw - i'll sell mine cheap if anybody thinks they can do better. 11 wide.

I am having real good luck with a pair of Schnee's out of Montana. I bought a pair a few years back and they are working great for elk hunting.

I had a pair of Danner's that I used for 7 years. About 3 years too long, but they were so nice and comfortable. Too bad they went down in quality. Try the Schnees sometime.

I've had good luck with a pair of Rocky boots, 7 hunting seasons on them now. They don't see as ruff use as say an elk hunter would put them through. But I have worn these for 7 seasons in all kinds of weather and my feet have stayed dry and warm.

FWIW:

Danner has 2 levels of boot now. Those with stitched soles are made in oregon and very good. Those with glued on soles are made in China and not so good.

The Danner website has exact descriptions of this matter (but they don't distinguish them as good boots and Chinese crap).

BMT

Dutch
Have used Danners for years in the worst conditions you can throw at boots. Found some years ago that beeswax is the only way to treat leather boots to make them waterproof. Even if you have perfect liners leather will soak up water and stretch to dangerous proportions.

I do not care if the liners work or not, waxed leather is waterproof like nothing else. Also foound the waxed leather sheds shale slide abuses like nothing else. Have walked through a pair of unwaxed leather boots in a week in sheep country. Same area, same Danner boot, now waxed, and the boots last forever.
art

Now I am a little bummed out! I just bought some new Danner Pronghorns because they were so comfortable, but have only been wearing them around the house.

Sitka, that's all nice and dandy for all leather boots, but these are the "mixed" upper variety. I know, I know, I should have know better, but I figured the "name" meant it was going to be O.K.

You know, the "guaranteed waterproof" "Goretex" thing they advertise?

Not.

Dutch.

I've got some older Danner Elkhunters on their third set of soles. I am going to run them till they puke, since the newer ones do leave a bit to be desired.

What BMT said. 2 versions of Danners now, one good as old and the other a waste of money. Ones I recently looked at and tried at Bass Pro were the lesser versions and passed on them.

OT

I call BS! Both the Danner Yellowstones and the Danner Grouse I have are stitch down soles. I buy them to be able to resole them... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

They leak, ALL OF THEM. You could put a hydropower plant in there...

The story I heard was that they were blaming the EPA for not being able to use the "right" glue in Oregon, but that the Chinese WERE able to.

I don't care what the marketeers want me to believe. I have four "good Oregon boots", 100% leakers. They can kiss my money goodbye.

Come to think of it, they can kiss other things, too. JMO, Dutch.

when i picked up my danners, they were all the rage, and i got them based on campfire reccomendations. i didn't think they were all that great when i got them, but they did fit better than the rockys, and i am no boot expert... very disappointed. guess i'll just stick w/ the rockys until i have reason not to - and at around 1/3 less money than the danners...

Dutch, congratulations on your cow elk. Sorry about your boots as I've had leaky boots before, too.

In which Unit did you kill your cow elk ?? I put in for Controlled Bull elk, but as usual, wasn't drawn. Then due to come screwy circumstances, was not able to get out at all. Maybe next year........

L.W.